Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has chosen Sabic’s Noryl GTX 989 resin for the front fenders of its 2013 Outlander Sport crossover. The vehicle’s fenders are the first to be produced using two-cavity injection moulding with Noryl GTX resin, allowing MMC to cut cycle times in half and reduce tooling costs.

Other major benefits include weight savings (compared to steel) and the flexibility to design the first North American fenders with integrated pedestrian head impact absorption brackets.

By adopting two-cavity injection moulding for the Outlander Sport’s front fender, which allows both the left and right fender components to be produced in one shot, MMC was able to largely cut cycle time by exactly half! In addition, this approach significantly reduced capital costs because only one tool is required, rather than two separate tools.

This first automotive body panel using Noryl GTX 989 resin, exploits the improved mechanical performance of the material, which is a conductive blend of polyamide (PA) and modified polyphenylene ether (PPE). Compared to the previous grade, Noryl GTX 989 resin delivers a 10C improvement in heat tolerance, making it a candidate for use in higher-temperature online painting. The material also reduces the coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) by 10%, compared to pervious grades.

Energy-absorbing brackets are integrated into the fender to improve pedestrian protection. Validation studies indicated a head injury criterion (HIC) value for the Noryl GTX resin fender that was 25% lower than a comparable steel fender. Replacing steel has reduced vehicle weight by 3kg.